Paying it Forward

As a freshman here at Norwich, with the school year slowly coming to an end, my Rook sisters brought me an opportunity to get a job together. Future Leader Camp (FLC) was hiring cadets to fill the role of cadre for the summer. Being freshmen, we had no idea what that meant to us — “cadre” was a term for a scary person who would instill discipline in you and teach you the way of being a Norwich cadet. Nevertheless, we signed up and were over the moon to be able to work together.

Future Leader Camp, I think, has a funny stigma among cadets. To some, it seems completely illogical to come back to campus over the summer to run a summer camp for high schoolers. To be fair, overseeing people who maybe have never been away from home or are navigating complicated life situations on top of ensuring that everyone is where they need to be at the correct time quickly adds up. Maybe they were on to something, but I hope they enjoyed their summers off.

That first summer was incredibly difficult for me. I was completely unaware of what the schedule was going to entail, and much to my surprise, 4 a.m.-11 p.m. is a long day. Fortunately for me, I was surrounded by some amazing role models and peers who helped me find my way as I stumbled through the experience. As tough as the days got, we laughed it all off. Those same people got me more into fitness, which has since become a pillar of care for me. I credit this first summer, and the struggles I experienced both physically and mentally, to my success in the fall as a candidate in Ranger Company and as a team member on the Ranger Challenge team.

The second summer was difficult for a totally different reason. It was the summer before I was cadre in Foxtrot Company, and I wanted to play with my leadership style. I fell into the role of the bad guy, that ensured everyone was in line, which fell out of alignment with my personal values. This experience confused me and left a bad taste in my mouth. It took me some time to eventually find my footing as a leader during the school year, and some Rooks who went to Future Leader Camp were shocked to learn that I wasn’t the same “bad guy” person they had met at FLC. 

The final summer I helped with the camp will stick with me for the rest of my life. My friends were coming up on graduation and decided to help with a Leadership Challenge Weekend, which I commanded. Immediately after this weekend we went to the FLC coordinator and told him, “Congratulations, you have your command team for the summer,” and we all laughed at the assertion. When the summer finally came, and FLC was gearing up to start, we all found ourselves in the best company this school has to offer. The love and support among the staff, as well as the hard work ethic displayed by each member, from commander down to squad member was one of the most impressive displays of character I had the pleasure of witnessing. 

This current period is a strange one for a Norwich grad. Newly commissioned second lieutenants are waiting to be sent off to their initial officer training, and civilian grads are looking for jobs or pursuing higher education. For our senior leadership of the summer, we had all of these. I had just been accepted into the master’s program of my dreams, and those around me were looking at pursuing their own dreams. At the time, I thought I’d be walking away from Norwich, and more importantly, these people, for a long time. This sense of dread about the end of the camp and leaving each other allowed us to soak up each day, as long and hot as they were. We walked away from camps with a bond that I think will remain unshakable for a long time, and even more stories to recall the next time we meet. 

To some, Future Leader Camp is a silly summer camp that they’ll never come and help with. Those who run FLC will tell you that it’ll help develop leadership skills, discipline, time management, confidence, and problem-solving skills. I want to tell you that FLC creates connections among humans in a way that very few organizations can. Every day I see cadets on campus who stop and say, “Hey weren’t you…,” and off we go on a long conversation about those summers. Occasionally, I’ll call a friend that I worked those summers with, and every time we pick up right where we left off. To have impacted so many young people, and to have connections that offer so much fulfillment, is the greatest honor a young man can have, and I’m happy to say these feats were only possible because of Future Leader Camp.